Japanese symbol for “compete”
争う
あらそう
Romaji: arasou
to compete; to contest; to contend
In Japanese, compete is 争う, read あらそう (arasou).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5u, vi to compete; to contest; to contend
- v5u, vi to quarrel; to argue; to dispute; to be at variance; to oppose
- v5u, vi to deny (e.g. evidence)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “compete”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 競う | きそう kisou | to compete; to contend; to vie |
| 取る | とる toru | to compete (in sumo, cards, etc.); to play |
| 比べる | くらべる kuraberu | to compete (on); to measure (one's strength, ability, etc. against another's) |
| 戦う | たたかう tatakau | to compete (against) |
| 張り合う | はりあう hariau | to compete (with each other); to contend for; to vie for |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 戦争 | せんそう sensou | war |
| 競争 | きょうそう kyousou | competition; contest; rivalry |
| 争い | あらそい arasoi | fight; dispute; feud |
| 紛争 | ふんそう funsou | dispute; conflict; trouble |
| 論争 | ろんそう ronsou | dispute; controversy; debate |
| 闘争 | とうそう tousou | fight; battle; combat |
See also: Chinese symbol for “compete”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.